Desolate Lands
by Daunyel Shaffer
Summary: NOTE: Alternate World Dean Dean is a vampire and is caught up in an old abandoned part of town with a girl he loves. When darkness overcomes her, will this all be a nightmare or is it her life?


DESOLATE LANDS

The night was dark, darker than any time before. The wind made the air so chilly that it whipped at your bones. The trees were bare, scratching at the sky as if to rip away the evil that lingered there. And the road was so barren that no one in their right mind would be caught walking alone on it. But for a young woman did this road see, making her way along the deserted road. Years ago this part of town had been abandoned, left to rot away in the winds of time. The wind howled then; screeching much like a banshee as the rain began to fall.

In the distance lights could be seen as the young woman struggled to keep warm. Her hands were numb for they had no covering and her coat was so thin that the wind whipped right through it. She knew that she would have to find warmth and the lights of Appleton Manor gave her that hope. But as she thought of it, the Manor had been abandoned like so many others of the homes that the light seemed out of place here. She shook her head and tucked herself into her coat and carried on. Even though the house had been considered haunted, it meant shelter out of the weather.

She made it to the edge of the property and slowly walked along the twisted wrought iron that bordered the land. Weeds and vines had grown over in the years it had been left to nature. She found the gate that led into the property and slowly pulled away the vines to open it. It creaked; echoing into the night as she slowly pushed her way in. She slowly made her way to the rotted front porch, careful not to fall through the rotten wood. She walked to the front door and noticed that it had fallen from its hinges a long time ago and shook her head. She had seen the pictures of its heyday, the beauty of the building, and the smiles of those who crossed its threshold. But all of that was gone. In its place left emptiness and remorse. She made her way inside and lifted the door, placing it over the doorway to keep the rain out. She then moved a large hutch that had been left behind in front of it, to keep the wind out. And then the smell hit her in the face, the smell of rotting wood and decay. She grimaced. It was better than being outside at least.

She dug through her bag and pulled out a small flashlight and turned it on. What she saw around her shocked her the most. The walls had been painted a beautiful burgundy color at one time with wood trim painted a bright white. The fireplace was that of rock and the windows still covered by lace curtains. It was almost as if the owners just picked themselves up and left. She shook her head in astonishment. She turned away from the front room then and slowly made her way upstairs. Parts of the stairs were rotted and many of them had fallen away, but if you kept to the wall, you could make your way upstairs. And so she did. At the top step she took a deep breath and sighed. As she flashed her light down the hallway did she notice the leaves on the floor. The windows were broken up here and the wind blew through. She could hear the scurrying of rats that were said to be in the place and she shook her head in disgust. She kept her lips pressed tightly together so that she would not scream from the sight of them. She pressed onwards down the long corridor, passing many old windows and their torn lace curtains.

She stopped at the first door and peered inside. She flashed her light within and what she saw made her look twice. Was she imagining this? Was this nothing but an illusion? But as she moved into the room did she shake her head in amusement. The room was decorated in Victorian fashion, white curtains made of lace hung over the windows. They were not tattered like the others and were as crisp of a white as if they were new. By that window stood a large brass bed, covered in a beautiful lace duvet. On each side of that bed stood small wooden tables, each donning an antique gas lamp. A makeup table stood to one side and a stunning white wedding dress hung on the door nearby. She walked over to the dress and touched it, feeling the softness of the silk.

How could this be? She shook her head, trying to understand the logic of this illusion. But a creak in the floor brought her back and she whirled around to find nothing. The door then slammed, locking her in the room. She grabbed the doorknob, dropping the flashlight in her haste. She pulled at the door, but it would not budge! Then the smell of perfume engulfed her, she coughed. She backed away from the door and tried to pry open the window to get some air. She struggled to breath, to let air in her lungs but the smell overcame her. She gasped as darkness over her. She collapsed to the floor and nothing more was seen.

She awoke on the bed. She coughed and cleared her lungs. Her eyes widened as she looked to the door at where the wedding dress had once sat and then herself. She was in the dress! She looked about the room and noticed that her belongings were missing. What in the world was going on! She pulled herself out of the bed and examined the room; the lamps had been lit to give her some light. She was puzzled as to why this room was kept intact yet the house was in shambles. She crossed the room and tugged on the door and found it still locked. She panicked this time. She began banging on the door, yelling "Let me out!" But her demands were left on deaf ears.

She trudged back to the bed and sat, crossing her arms about her. She was stuck here and all she wanted to do was flee this horrid place. She lay back on the bed and sighed; slowly closing her eyes, snuggling into the covers and falling fast asleep. It was hours later when she heard her door open. She sprung up to a sitting position and was ready to strike when she was pushed back down and held to the bed. She peered into a pair of cold, heartless hazel eyes. She bit her lip to keep from screaming, wanting nothing more than to not be here.

"Hello little dove. Welcome to my home." He whispered in her ear as he stroked her hair. "Don't be afraid, you'll be safe soon enough.

She stared at him as he was crazy. Safe? She would be safe with him? Hello moron? I want out of here, do you hear me? She struggled against his grasp and he pulled away to her much surprise. What did he want?

"Sit up." He demanded and she did as she was told. Her expression was blank, in far of some odd retaliation. This is when she took in his appearance. She was surprised at the cleanliness of such a creature. He was fit, standing about six foot one and had short, but cleanly cut brown hair. He had some facial hair that reminded her of some suave actor on her favorite show The Tudors. He wore black leather that was so tailored that she felt that as if he was from another time, another place. She just didn't understand why she was here.

"You are quite a beauty no?" he asked. His accent was bland, as if he didn't want her to know where he came from.

"Who are you?" she finally asked, her voice breaking from fear.

He slowly beckoned for her to stand and she slowly pulled herself away from the bed and fell back against the cold wall. He shook his head and walked over to her, reaching a hand out to caress her face.

"Who are you?" she asked again, this time her voice held firm.

He laughed a most melodic form of laughter she had ever heard. "You, my mi chere, are such a gem. Where have you been all my life?"

She was getting furious now, her questions being left unanswered. Who was this nutcase and what did he want with her?

"I'm serious. This game is getting quite old." She said, watching as his soft expression suddenly turned cold.

"You my dear lass, are in my home. You will not use that tongue with me." He growled and roughly grabbed her hair and threw her onto the bed. "You best watch your tone or you'll be sorry." He said and walked to the door, unlocked it and walked out, slamming the door behind him and locking it. She jumped out of the bed and began banging on the door, but it was no use. He was gone.

"Damnit!" she cursed, wanting to beat herself for being so stupid! She flopped back on the bed and threw herself back on the plush pillows. Was she ever going to get away from this place or was she doomed to be trapped her tills he died? No one knew.

The door rattled and the man re-entered the room carrying a tray covered with food. He placed it on the bed in front of her. "Eat." He demanded.

"Why?" she said softly.

"You need to eat."

She shook her head, "I'm going to die am I not? So why bother."

He lifted the tray from the bed; she cringed, thinking he was going to throw it at her. Instead he placed it on her lap. "You have to eat. You've been here for two days. I rather you be healthy then dead, my dear."

"Why? Can you tell me that at least? Why?"

He smiled a bit, "I like you my mi chere. You make this room light up when it's dim; make my life whole when I was nothing. Is that good enough?"

She nodded, looking down to the delicious meal he brought to her. There were roasted chicken and baked scalloped potatoes, corn and a biscuit. There was even juice to drink. "Thank you."

"You are quite welcome. I will leave you to eat. Take it easy now." He said and left the room, leaving the door unlocked this time.

She sighed and dug into her food. What else could she do? She was starving. She ate every last morsel and put her tray to the side and climbed back out of bed. She wanted to see if there was any other clothing she could wear than destroy the beautiful wedding dress. That was something she should ask. Why the dress?

She left the room and ventured further down the hall. It looked like her mysterious man cleaned up the hallway of debris and leaves. She looked up to the windows and found them boarded up. And it was quite warmer than before. She was stunned. Was this guy actually trying to save the old manor?

"I see you found your way out of the room." He said as she whirled around to face him.

"Yes, and I see that you have been boarding up the windows."

"Have to keep the drafts out and the animals. I would hate to see you hurt."

"Then why have me here at all? And why in this dress?"

He laughed as he leant against the wall. "I want you here, that is plain to see. As for the dress, I love women in a wedding dress."

"Why do I need to wear it? Can I wear something else so that I do not stain it?"

"Your clothes are in the dresser, top drawer. You are welcome to change. I thought you would like to awaken like a princess is all."

She was attracted to this man, his hands were caressing her body and it ached and burned like fire as he kissed her on the lips. She moaned and moved her hands to the back of his neck and pushed herself closer to him. The sensations were alien to her yet when he kissed her, she felt nothing more than that.

"Please stop." She asked as she put her hands on his chest and pushed him away.

He didn't budge and looked down to her with bewilderment. He placed his hand under her chin and stared into her eyes.

"What frightens you the most my love." He asked, rubbing her shoulder with his other hand.

She shivered from his touch, but shakily responded, "I'm afraid of you."

He nuzzled her cheek and kissed her softly, "Mi chere I would never bring harm to you." He said and turned on his heels and walked out of the room, softly closing the door.

She gulped, trying to come back to her senses. She had to get out of here before he came back. She ran for the door and threw it open and looked about the hallway before dashing towards the stairs. She ran down the stairs and almost made it to the door when the man blocked her escape.

"Ah mi chere, where are you running off to?" he asked as he grabbed her by the waist.

"Home." She said weakly.

"No you're not my dear." He whispered in her ear, making her shake with fear.

She felt hypnotized by his voice, and slowly nodded her head. They walked through the living room and to the dining room. The man pulled out a chair, "Please sit my love. We need to talk." He said and as she took her seat the room began to shift, change. It was no longer old and dusty but warm and exotic. Colors of red replaced the dull brown walls, breaking her senses free from the thoughts that ran across her mind. A fire started in the fireplace, only to have her jump as an elegant table set for a queen appeared in front of her.

"How?" she squeaked, not knowing who this man was what he was.

He leant over and kissed her on the lips, she couldn't budge from her chair. Something inside her wanted this man, but some other part of her wanted him to leave her be.

He stroked her hair yet again, asking, "What's your name love?"

She gulped, before whispering, "Viktoria."

He peered into her eyes, grasping her soul with energy so powerful she felt helpless. "A beautiful name for you."

She tried to smile, but her fear was slowly creeping up her spine. She wiggled in the chair as he turned away from her for a brief moment, lifting a wine glass from the mantle of the fireplace. The trance in which she was captivated broke, leaving her cold and frightened. The room had change yet again, back to the abandoned place it was. The man was gone; as was her sanity and she realized if any of it had really happened.

"Who are you?" she whispered as the night silenced her words.

She wrapped her coat tightly about her and stood from the chair. She crossed the room to the front door and found it locked and barred. She knew now whom she encountered, the man the town dubbed 'the ghost of Appleton Manor' yet she wondered if he was a ghost at all, as she walked about the foyer, thinking of a way to escape from here.

The chill in the air was getting colder, Viktoria was frazzled, her nerves on end. She was locked in a house she hardly knew, a place that brought back memories of her childhood yet she also found herself thinking of home. What was happening to her was she losing her mind, or hallucinating?

She threw her hands into the air, racing into another part of the manor. She stopped short in the room as she found herself face to face with a coffin. She rolled her eyes and groaned, thinking that her mind was falling apart.

"Stop it Viktoria." She whispered.

But the coffin was sitting there as plain as day. Leaving questions to race in her mind. Who was the man that she encountered, what was a coffin do here in this room? She had to find answers and the only way she was going to answer them was to see that the coffin was real and find out what was inside it.

She slowly crossed the room, opening the coffin a crack, only to be pulled away and wrapped in a black cloak. She turned to him with frightened eyes, realizing that he was the Devil himself.

"Who are you?" she demanded, finding her strength to lash out at him.

"I'm Dean dear Viktoria and you're in my home." He said, revealing fangs within his mouth.

She shrieked as she jumped away from him, the cloak falling carelessly to the floor. "What the hell are you!" she yelled as she hit the coffin and he pushed her in.

"Your eternity." He said and slammed the coffin lid tightly shut, locking her in the darkness of her confines.

"NO!" she cried, her worst nightmare finally coming to light.

Her fist banged on the lid, she couldn't breathe and she was losing control. How could she survive when she hardly felt her heart beat any longer? If she didn't get out of her, she would suffocate.

"LET ME OUT!" she screamed and banged at the lid again. This time she heard footsteps approach, the lid lifting up to reveal a young woman with flowing blond hair.

"Are you alright?" the girl asked, her pale blue eyes looking into those of hers.

"Yeah, don't like small places." She retorted.

The girl nodded, "Come with me please." She said and took the girl's hand and dragged her from the room.

They went upstairs, the stairs now new and polished. Viktoria shook her head, was she completely losing it after all?

"Who are you?" she asked, curious of others that may be here after her search had found no one before.

"I'm called Desra. I'm the keeper of the manor for the master." She said and opened a door to the room Viktoria had escaped earlier. This time though, the room was fresh and clean.

"Master? And whom may that be?" she asked in confusion.

"That would be Dean, ma'am. And if you want to remain on his good side I advise to hurry."

"Hurry for what?" she asked as she felt a sharp pain in the back of her head.

Viktoria gasped in pain as her world turned to darkness.

Hours later Viktoria awoke with a throbbing headache. She was lying in the bed, covered with a blanket made of wool. She threw the blanket off of her, stepping off the bed and walking over to the door, only to find herself locked in.

She sighed and began to pace the room, occasionally peering out the barred window to watch the sun set. The lands below were covered with graves, something she hadn't seen before. What had happened to all she found before this nightmare began. What was going to happen to her now that she stuck here?

She shook her head and walked away from the window, another thought came to mind. The man was a Devil, a Demon. But with a snort she realized he was far too provocative for that.

"I need to get out of here." She muttered, waiting for anyone to walk through that door and to release her from this hell.

She sat on the bed, closing her eyes and realizing that night had finally arrived. Wolves cried in the distance, breaking her from her bliss. She got out of the bed and went to sit at the makeup table. She peered into the mirror, brushing her hair with her fingers.

Years ago she had cut her long brown hair to her jaw, to annoy people that had told her that she was better off leaving well alone. Now her hair had grown back out and she had dyed it a bright shade of red, she had loved the hair up to now, realizing that she looked more like a hussy than a young woman of twenty-three.

She shook her head, closing her eyes. Her head still throbbed and when she re-opened her eyes, her long dark brown hair was back.

"What the hell?" she said, as Dean stepped up behind her.

"I agree with you, the red wasn't right for you. You're far too beautiful for that."

His fingers stroked her bare shoulders, her coat long past gone. She shivered from his touch as he came around to stare down at her. "I brought you a gift." He said, placing an exotic red dress in her lap. "Tonight you'll live our lifestyle."

She was about to speak when he placed his finger on her lips, "Dress and then we'll speak." He said and stepped away from her, leaving the room to Desra's care.

"Come now ma'am, time to dress." She said, helping Viktoria to her feet. "Master Dean likes things to be on time."

Viktoria nodded, still in a trance-like state from his touch. Desra dressed the young woman and stood back as she finished and nodded in satisfaction. "Come now miss, a party is about to begin."

They left the room and something awoke Viktoria from her trance. She looked down to find herself in the dress that man had given her. "Where are we going?" she demanded, feeling Desra's grip harden on her soft flesh.

"STOP!" she yelled, only to be slapped across the face.

"Let's go Viktoria. Master Dean is an impatient man and I'm not about to be late, you understand me? Now let's go and stop being such a human for god's sake.

Viktoria back-handed the girl and broke free from her grasp. Desra fell to the floor, giving Viktoria the chance to escape. She ran down the hallway and back to the stairway, this time though, people littered the room as she stopped dead in her tracks. How was she going to get free?

"I told you, you can't get out of here."

Viktoria stared at the girl and saw for the first time that she was far older than she appeared. Who were these people and why did they want her?

"Just let me go." She whispered.

"We can't. We need flesh blood or we'll die and since the Master has taken a liking to you, you're the solution. We get a Mistress and he gets the blood we need."

"I want to go home." She cried her fears of death surfacing.

"You are home Viktoria." The girl said softly, "I know this is scary for you. It was for me two hundred years ago, but when you become one of us, your fears will be nothing as if they never existed."

"She's right." Dean said as he entered the hallway. "I can feel your fears; see the images that cross your mind. I tried to seduce you, but you pushed me away. I wanted you to come to me willingly, but I failed. Now I don't know what to do."

Viktoria looked at him saw the pain in his eyes. She knew now what he was, whom he is and suddenly grew weak. All her life she'd run from her pain, now she was looking straight at the Devil's face and was willing to give up the fight she had.

"Come to me Viktoria." He asked as she stepped up to him and laid her head on his chest.

"I give up." She whispered.

He placed his arms about her and held her close. He felt her slipping away, her soul wanting nothing more than to die.

"Come to me then, be free from this misery."

She slowly nodded, closing her eyes and holding onto him for dear life.

"Father?" Desra said quietly. "Is she alright?"

He nodded, holding the now sleeping Viktoria. "We need to prepare her. She has lost her fight and she now wants to die."

"I don't want to lose her." The girl whimpered.

"We won't. She holds onto the image of you. You remind her of a child she once lost.

He picked her up in his arms and they both descended the stairs to the room full of undead.

"We have a Mistress." Dean said low enough so not to awake the girl.

Viktoria was placed on a granite table covered in red cloth, candle were lit all around her as a chalice was placed beside her. Dean kneeled beside her and lifted her wrist, slicing her flesh and letting her bleed. She moaned in pain as he filled the chalice with her blood, welcoming her soul to their world.

He lifted the chalice above his head, chanting, "Blood of a human we take, blood a vampire we give." And took a sip of the warm blood.

Viktoria's eyes opened and she drowsily watched, "Dean." She whispered.

He licked his lips and placed the chalice in Desra's hands, turning his attention back to her. "Come to me freely Viktoria and I'll take away your pain."

She tried to sit up and with his help did so, "Kill me Dean; I don't want to live like this."

He pulled her hair away and kissed the flesh of her neck, she shivered by his touch as his fangs pierced her skin. "Ohhh." She moaned as he took her blood. The ritual of blood life was finally done, Viktoria would soon be his.

He pulled away and looked down to her, she closed her eyes and her heart stilled. "Welcome to my world my love, my Mistress." And wiped the blood from his face.

She re-opened her eyes and looked to him with new allegiance, gone was her fears and hopes, replaced with love and thirst. She was a vampire now, ready to roam the world with new life with the man that had always been her soul-mate.

"My love." She said and kissed him, sealing the bond.


End file.
